These include horses, cattle, mules, sheep, pigs, goats and dogs – but not cats.

This must be done whether or not the animal was killed.

A Government spokesman said they 'recognise the distress' which can be caused when a cat goes stray or becomes lost.

He added that owners are strongly encouraged to microchip their cats to 'give them the best chance of being reunited'.

Speaking to a national newspaper, CatsMatter co-founder Mandy Hobbis said: “To ask that drivers be made aware of their responsibilities, and stop to report incidents, is a perfectly reasonable ask in a civilised and so-called animal-loving nation.

“Our fear is many cats are put down simply because there is no way of contacting owners.”

CatsMatter was launched when its founder, Hollie Ivy, discovered her cat Henry had been fatally struck by a car in April 2017.

She is using the tragic incident to encourage change – not just in how people drive around cats but what they do when they hit one with their vehicle.

The Cats Bill will have a second reading in the House of Commons on Friday.

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